Identification of well pipe strings



El -mini Dec. 24, 1963 J. L. RIKE 3,1

' IDENTIFICATION OF WELL PIPE STRINGS Filed Dec. 19, 1960 FIG.3.

RECORDER ,-TUBING STRING COLLAR DETECTOR F1 FIG.4.

-' INVENTOR.

JAMES. L. R/KE,

l3 j% BY ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,115,183 IDENTIFICATION OF WELL PIPE STRINGS James L. Rike, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 76,742 4 Claims. (Cl. 166-4) This invention concerns an improved method for identifying pipe strings set in the same well.

In wells which contain a number of parallel, spacedapart strings of pipe or tubing, it is necessary to be able to positively identify each pipe string in order to successfully carry out various operations to be performed in the well, particularly those employing a wire line conductor, as for example, perforating and logging operations. Prior to the present technique, it has been difiicult to identify the pipe string in which work is to be or has been done, because of failure of conventional identification systems, such as tagging, stenciling, painting, noting relative positions of the valves at the surface, etc., and because no standard practices such as these possibly could be maintained or properly communicated to all personnel throughout the normal producing life of the well.

The present invention overcomes previous difficulties in identification of pipe strings in wells containing a multiplicity of pipe strings by employing varying pipe lengths to permanently identify and differentiate between the well pipes.

It is known to place subs or pup joints, i.e., short lengths of pipe, in well pipes in order to provide vertical depth control during logging and perforating operations. This invention modifies this technique to the extent that different lengths of pup joints are strategically located in well pipes positioned adjacent each other in one well bore. As an example, Z-foot pup joints may be arranged in one of the pipe strings; 4-foot pup joints in another; 6- foot pup joints in a third, and so on. The particular length of the pup joints used in any one pipe string may be varied from the lengths used in the example above so long as constant length pup joints are always used in any one pipe string. By keeping appropriate records of the particular arrangement used, the pipes in such wells may be positively identified by determining the lengths of the pup joints as shown on pipe collar logs.

The invention is particularly useful in providing a positive record on a p'nnted collar log which will always identify the tubing strings in which work has been done. The method is very beneficial for out-of-the-way well 10- cations, sudh as offshore wells or others where constant supervision is not readily available and contact with oflicial records is inconvenient.

Briefly, the invention comprises placing joints of pipe of one selected, predetermined, constant length in one pipe string and placing joints of pipe of different selected, predetermined constant length in another pipe string when running and setting the pipe strings in the well and distinguishing the separate strings of pipe by the lengths of the particular pipe joints inserted in each pipe string.

Thus, a primary object of the! present invention is an improved technique for obtaining a permanent record to identify the various pipe strings in wells in which multiple pipe strings are set.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention when taken with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a well bore showing a plurality of pipe strings arranged therein;

FIG. 2 is a view taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is representative collar logs of the pipe strings of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

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FIG. 4 illustrates a pipe collar logging tool suspended for running in a well pipe to obtain the logs shown in FIG. 3. I

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a well :10 perentrating a plurality of productive formations 11, '12, and 13. Three pipe strings, 1'4, 15, and 16, and a surface casing 17 are set and cemented in wel110. Although the tubing strings may be of the same length, as illustrated in FIG. 1, tubing string 14 extends to formation 13, tubing string 115 extends to formation 12, and tubing string 16 extends to formation 11. In order ltO later distinguish the tubing strings 214, 15, and 16 for wire l-ine operation work, difierent sized pup joints are inserted in the pipe strings as they are being run in well 10. For example, a series of 2-foot in length pup joints 18 are inserted in pipe string 14; 4-foot in length pup joints 19 are inserted in pipe string 15; and 6-foot in length pup joints 20 are inserted in pipe string 16. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the subs or pup joints are strategically located in each pipe string preferably at or near zones of interest and at least one of each pup joint is preferably placed in the first feet or so of the well so that identification may be quickly made.

Representative collar logs run in pipe strings 14, 15, and 16 are illustrated in FIG. 3. Line 21 represents the log taken in pipe string 14, and line 22 represents the log taken in pipe string 15, and line 23 represents the log taken in pipe string 16. These representative logs show that the pipe strings are readily distinguishable by noting the identifying collar pup joints, e.g., 18', 19', and 20' for the pipe strings 14, 15, and 16, respectively.

One representative tool for obtaining such logs is shown in FIG. 4. A collar detector which may be a magnetic detector is suspended on an electrical cable, which, in turn, is electrically connected to a recorder at the earths surface. The tool is run in each of the well pipes to obtain the log records shown in FIG. 3.

Having fully described the method, objects, and nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A method for identifying a pipe string arranged in a well from at least one other pipe string arranged in said well comprising the steps of connecting in said one pipe string at least one joint of pipe of a selected predetermined constant length during running and setting of said pipe string, the length selected for said pipe joint being of different length than the lengths of said remaining pipe joints in said one pipe string and also of different length than the lengths of the pipe joints in said other pipe string; and running a log of the pipe connections in said one pipe string, the record of which identifies said one pipe string by the representation of said selected predetermined constant length pipe joint and its location in said one pipe string on said log.

2. A method for distinguishing a pipe string arranged in a well from at least one other pipe string arranged in said well comprising the steps of connecting in said one pipe string at least one joint of pipe of a selected predetermined constant length during running and setting of said one pipe string, the length selected for said pipe joint being of different length than the lengths of the remaining pipe joints in said one pipe string and also of different length than the lengths of the pipe joints in said other pipe string; and running a log of pipe connections in each pipe string, the record of which distinguishes said one pipe string from said other pipe string by the representation of said selected predetermined constant length pipe joint and its position in said one pipe string on the log run in said one pipe string.

3. A method for individually identifying each pipe string of a plurality of pipe strings arranged in a well comprising the steps of coupling with pipe collars a plurality of spaced-apart selected joints of pipe into each of said pipe strings during running and setting of said pipe strings in said well, the selected pipe joints in the same pipe string being of the same predetermined constant length but differing in length from the lengths of the remaining pipe joints in the same pipe string and also from the lengths of the pipe joints in each of the other pipe strings; and running a collar log in each pipe string, the record of which distinguishes each pipe string one from the other by the representation of said selected predetermined constant length pipe joints on the individual logs run in each of said pipe strings.

4. A method for individually identifying at least two pipe strings arranged in a well comprising the steps of coupling with pipe collars a plurality of spaced-apart joints of pipe of one selected predetermined constant length in one of said pipe strings and a plurality of of spaced-apart joints of pipe of another selected predetermined constant length different from said one selected predetermined constant length into another of said pipe strings during running and setting of said pipe strings in said well, said selected predetermined constant length 4 joints of pipe in a particular pipe string also being different in length than the lengths of the remaining joints of pipe in that particular pipe string; and running a collar log in each of said pipe strings, the record of which distinguishes said one pipe string from said other pipe string by the representation of said selected predetermined constant length pipe joints on the logs run in each of said pipe strings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,147,544 Potts Feb. 14, 1939 2,228,623 Ennis Jan. 14, 1941 '2,253,537 Scaramucci Aug. 26, 1941 2,316,361 Piety Apr. 13, 1943 2,350,832 Seg'esi'nan June 6, 1944 2,476,137 Doll July 12, 1949 2,710,925 McKay June 14, 1955 2,768,684 Castel et a1. Oct. 30, 1956 2,871,946 Bigelow Feb. 3, 1959 3,019,841 Ternow Feb. 6, 1962 

1. A METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A PIPE STRING ARRANGED IN A WELL FROM AT LEAST ONE OTHER PIPE STRING ARRANGED IN SAID WELL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONNECTING IN SAID ONE PIPE STRING AT LEAST ONE JOINT OF PIPE OF A SELECTED PREDETERMINED CONSTANT LENGTH DURING RUNNING AND SETTING OF SAID PIPE STRING, THE LENGTH SELECTED FOR SAID PIPE JOINT BEING OF DIFFERENT LENGTH THAN THE LENGTHS OF SAID REMAINING PIPE JOINTS IN SAID ONE PIPE STRING AND ALSO OF DIFFERENT LENGTH THAN THE LENGTHS OF THE PIPE JOINTS IN SAID OTHER PIPE STRING; AND RUNNING A LOG OF THE PIPE CONNECTIONS IN SAID ONE PIPE STRING, THE RECORD OF WHICH IDENTIFIES SAID ONE PIPE STRING BY THE REPRESENTATION OF SAID SELECTED PREDETERMINED CONSTANT LENGTH PIPE JOINT AND ITS LOCATION IN SAID ONE PIPE STRING ON SAID LOG. 